Abdominal Water Exercises

The good thing about performing abdominal exercises in the water is that once you grasp a solid center of gravity, almost any movement will work your abdomen. The bad thing is that it's easy to lose your center of gravity and drift off. You need to use your core muscles so much to combat the gravity rules of water that you can really get a maximum workout. Many everyday movements on land are effective abdominal exercises in the water.

  1. Tread Water

    • Go out to a water depth where you can't touch the bottom and begin treading water. Use short kicks and your arms to stay afloat. This is an ideal water exercise because it targets many muscles in your body and burns fat. Keep your abdominal muscles tight while performing the exercise to achieve maximum results. Tread water for one minute and then rest. Do this three times.

    Pelvic Twists

    • Stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms out to the side of you. Turn to the left and then turn to the right. Your body should be in a swivel motion and your arms should be creating resistance. After a few reps you will begin to feel a deep burn in your sides and lower abdominals. This is an ideal exercise for sculpting your obliques.

    Knees to Chest

    • This exercise is done at the edge of the pool. Put your back against the edge of the pool and place your elbows on top of the edge to hold your body up. Your body should be dangling in the water. You are now in position for a few different exercises.

      Start off by simply lifting both of your knees to your chest while keeping your abdomen tight. Do three sets of 15.

      If your looking for something a little harder, don't bend your knees while doing the exercise. Keep your legs straight and lift them up until they are extended straight forward. Hold this position for two seconds and then release. Do three sets of seven.

      If you're looking for more of an aerobic exercise, you can lift both of your legs up and perform bicycle kicks. Just move your legs in the motion you would if you were peddling a bicycle. Keep your abs tight and vary the speed depending on your comfort level. Do this for 30 seconds and repeat three times.

    Leg Lifts

    • This is similar to walking in place except you will bring your legs up much higher and more frequently. Stand with your feet spread shoulder-width apart with the water somewhere between your waist and your shoulders. Now lift one leg all the way up until your knee hits your chest. If you can't lift it that high, lift it as far as possible. Bring your leg down and repeat with your other leg. Go as fast as you can without drifting off. Do three sets lasting 30 seconds each.

    Walk

    • Just the effort it takes to keep your center of gravity sturdy will be a workout. Make sure you're in shallow water and take a couple laps around. Go for a 10 to 15 minute walk and you will soon feel the burn. Don't cheat, the goal is to keep your body balanced. Once you're comfortable walking and not drifting off, you can step up to running.

    Run in Place

    • This is similar to treading water, except you touch the floor. Like every other exercise, the key is to keep a sturdy center of balance. Don't bounce up so that you will start to drift off. Take it easy and work on trying to stay in place. Go for a 10-minute run and see how fast you can go without drifting.